Infant Steps: When is one a Christian?

My Beloved EROLyrics Readers,

WORD FOR THE WEEK: Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money (including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions) and be satisfied with your present circumstances and with what you have; for He Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not! [Hebrews 13:5 AMP].

Thank you all for your responses to Kate's questions. You are the best. Just count it that you have helped someone remain steadfast in her walk with God.

This week's question in the Infant Steps Series takes us back to the basics of Christianity. I'm not disclosing :-) Please read Michael's question below and share your thoughts.

Thank you.

Dear Rita,
When does one become a Christian - when one prays the sinners prayer, or when one prays it and then actively takes steps to obey God and the Word of God? I will appreciate explanations to help me understand your answer.

Thank you. Michael.



If you have any questions you would like to discuss on the Infant Steps Series, please drop me an email at esurunma@gmail.com or leave the question as a comment in any of my blog posts. You can see previous questions in this series on the right pane of this blog.

All posts on the Infant Steps Series will be posted on Tuesdays, 9 AM West Africa Time.

Infant Steps: Who can I trust?

Beloved EROLyrics Readers,

Hope your week has started out well. Covenant grace and peace be to you in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, who reigns forevermore.

Today’s question on the Infant Steps Series is very sensitive. Some people I have tried to share the word with and lead to Christ say there is no point because those who claim to be Christians are doing worse than unbelievers. I cannot ascertain the veracity of such statement but I know that Christians are human and are not perfect. What would you do if you find out that someone who has been trying to lead you into sin is a “man” of God? Please read Kate’s question below and share with her some encouraging words.

Thank you.

Dear Rita,
I am a student. There is this guy that has been chasing me for some time now. He has even tried forcing me to go to bed with him but I refused. One day when I was taking a walk in the night, I saw him at a “corner” with one lady. That place I saw him is known as a place where guys and girls meet to make out.

I have been having struggles with my Christian walk. On Wednesday last week I decided to go to a fellowship to rededicate myself to God and start afresh. To my amazement, the leader of the welfare department was that guy who has been chasing me! He was even among those asked to pray with the fellowship pastor for those who stepped out to rededicate their lives. I was shocked for a moment. Then afterwards I felt a great wash of disappointment. I was so overcome with emotions that I broke down crying. I wept for the whole day.

Now I feel like walking away from Christianity though I know without God, I will feel empty.

Have you experienced anything like this? What will you do in my situation? What should I do? Should I report him to the fellowship leader? How can I trust the other leaders of the fellowship?
Kate.


If you have any questions you would like to discuss on the Infant Steps Series, please drop me an email at esurunma@gmail.com or leave the question as a comment in any of my blog posts.

All posts on the Infant Steps Series will be posted on Tuesdays, 9 AM West Africa Time.

Just Reflecting

I remember that night when he said, “my younger brother just came in from a long journey and we cannot get food now. Do you have a meal to share?”

We were in school. I cooked. Yes I had a meal that night but I did not feel like sharing. It was unplanned for. He was nothing to me. Not a boyfriend nor was he asking me out. He was not doing my assignments for me. Apparently, there was nothing I could get from him. But I remembered my mother’s words, “a small meal shared is more satisfying than a large meal eaten alone”. So I replied, “Yes, I have a meal to share. Tell him to come to my room.”

4 years later, I learnt that after that incident his brother told his parents, “There is one lady I want in this family. She is nice and she can cook. She will make a good wife for big brother.”
That meal I shared I guess was a response to destiny calling. Today, that guy I shared the meal with is my brother-in-law. So you know who “he” is?

I recalled this story after listening to a message that asked, “When Rebecca gave those camels water to drink, did she know that the next day she will be riding upon the camels?” [Genesis 24:19, 61].

This post is a call for 2 things:-
1. Your diligence in serving the Lord. I write specifically to someone who is asking, “What is the point? After all my years of service, I am still in waiting.” For instance, you may have been an usher for years yet no guy has approached you. Your husband may not have approached you. But his sister that you treated nicely in church has been telling him of your good deeds. When he comes to you, he would have known enough about you. Your wait might seem like eternity, but your day is coming, the season is now.

2. An understanding of the God you serve. God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on)[1 Cor 1:9a], He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [Hebrews 11:6]. Abraham who understood the God he served said “The Lord, the God of heaven, Who took me from my father's house, from the land of my family and my birth, Who spoke to me and swore to me, saying, To your offspring I will give this land - He will send His Angel before you, and you will take a wife from there for my son,” [Genesis 24:7]. What can you say about the God you serve? Are there no testimonies in your life that speak of the goodness, faithfulness and grace of God?

A large, thirsty camel can drink as much as 200 liters a day. Think about that 20 liters jerrycan you use to buy fuel. 10 of it for 1 camel. Rebecca gave water to 10 camels. If I was her I might have been wondering, “God, why did I leave my father’s house this morning? Which kind of work is this? Who sent me? What will I gain? Even if this servant asks me out, I will surely say no…” Can you think of others?

This is a time to be diligent in your walk with God– delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart [Psalm 37:4].

For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for His glory [2 Cor. 1:20]. Do you want to tap into these sure blessings of the Lord? If you have not given your life to Christ, it is not too late to do so. Simply confess your sins to Him, declare that you believe He died and rose again for you, surrender yourself to Him and invite Him into your life as your God and savior. It is well with you.

Have a blessed weekend ahead. Do not miss next week’s question on the Infant Step Series. It is going to be hot and thought-provoking.



Heavenly Father, may your praise be continually in my lips. You are a loving and faithful Father.

Infant Steps: How bad is Gossiping?

Beloved EROLyrics Readers,

Hope your week has been great so far. Covenant grace and peace be to you in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, who reigns forevermore. Thank you for your words of wisdom in response to Julia’s question. She is really encouraged, knowing she is not alone and knowing there is a way out.

Today’s question on the Infant Steps Series has to do with gossiping. I don’t know about you, but I have gossiped not knowing whether it is good or bad, and to what extent. Linda’s question caused me to pause and think – How bad is gossiping? To get better insight into what made me reflect, please read Linda’s question below and share with her some encouraging words.

Thank you.

Dear Rita,

Many years ago, when I was not a born-again Christian, I fell out with a roommate. It was not a small falling out. She accused me of gossiping too much and she said she could not stay with me because I was making her fall into sin. In my mind, I wondered how giving someone gist is making them fall into sin. I packed my load and left and have not spoken to her since then.

After I gave my life to Christ recently, something in my spirit tells me that gossiping is not good. But I don’t know if this is true and if gossiping is harmful.

Was my friend right all along? What is gossiping really and how bad is it? My friend claimed that talking about other people (in a manner that does not speak good about them) is gossiping, but what else should friends and siblings be talking about? And is gossiping peculiar to only women i.e. do men gossip?

Linda.



If you have any questions you would like to discuss on the Infant Steps Series, please drop me an email at esurunma@gmail.com or leave the question as a comment in any of my blog posts.

All posts on the Infant Steps Series will be posted on Tuesdays, 9 AM West Africa Time. Be the first to leave an encouraging response and have your name on the EROLyrics Hall of Fame...

Lesson from Egusi Soup

Every year six million children die from malnutrition before their fifth birthday...

More than 800 million people go to bed hungry every day, 300 million are children.
Of these 300 million children, only eight percent are victims of famine or other emergency situations. More than 90 percent are suffering long-term malnourishment and micronutrient deficiency...

http://cozay.com/

Such headlines did not move me. Even if I did give to causes to help save poverty, it was most likely because I had something to give away, not out of love and compassion. It is hard to be empathetic, especially when you are not the one wearing the shoes.

One weekend, I prepared fresh, delicious egusi soup (melon soup). I had 3-days old egusi soup in my fridge but I was not about to “contaminate” the fresh soup so I decided to pour the old one away. Just when I was about to throw it into the dustbin, a long buried scene surfaced in my memory.

It was Friday evening. There were little remains of the 6-day egusi soup, which I kept for myself and my mother who would be returning late from work that Friday. When she got home and asked for soup, I realized that the soup was too small for both of us to share. I poured water to increase the quantity. It became too watery. So I decided to add garri to the soup to give it weight. In my naivety, I did not know that the garri will coagulate in the hot soup. By the time I was to serve the soup, it was no longer soup. It was hard garri coloured with egusi and leaves. Garri-Egusi cake – in summary.

It was not edible. Mother and I went to bed hungry that night, looking forward to Saturday when we will have the next meal…

I stood by my cooker and wept. I looked at the soup I was about to throw away. If only mother and I had seen something like that then, we would not have gone to bed hungry. I wept as I realized how easily I forgot where I was coming from. I realized how wasteful I had become. I realized that there are indeed hungry people in our world. I realized that I (or any of my family) could have been part of the statistics if not for the love of God. Suddenly, my heart feels compassion for those in need.

Beloved, nothing is a waste, especially food. What you do not want, someone else will need.

Do take out time to find out whose life you can make a difference in with your food, money, clothes, or whatever you have, no matter how little. There are ministries, foundations, NGOs where you can sow into. As as you sow, may you reap a thousand fold and lack no good thing, in Jesus name, Amen.

Do not despise the days of your small beginnings [Zechariah 4:10]. And though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase [Job 8:7].
Have a blessed weekend ahead.

Please join me in celebrating 16 years in memorial…

Infant Steps: How Do I Handle Peer Pressure?

Beloved EROLyrics Readers,
Hope your week has started out beautifully. Covenant grace and peace be to you in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, who reigns forevermore. Thank you for your responses to Hilda’s question. She is really encouraged.

Today, we have another question on the Infant Steps Series. It has to do with pressures from friends as a Christian. How did you manage to overcome peer pressures? How did you manage your relationship with people who knew you before you gave your life to Christ? Julia asks similar questions. Please read her question and advise her accordingly. Thank you.

Dear Rita,
I saw the question on backsliding and I want to imagine that Hilda would have had a lot of peer pressures. It is not easy. Speaking for myself, I recently gave my life to Christ but I find it a daily struggle to keep my faith. Since I gave my life to Christ, I have not felt any different. I still like the things I have always liked, think the things I always thought and react the way I have always reacted. My challenge is in the pressures from my close friends who knew me before I gave my life to Christ. They make me participate in the activities I am trying to let go of. They gang up against me if I do not give in to their requests. They also want to see me fall. When I make a mistake, they taunt me by saying “Is this how a Christian should behave?” These are people that I have grown to know and love.

How do I handle my relationship with them? How do I also handle the pressures from them? Do you know anyone that has successfully overcome this challenge?

Julia.

If you have any questions you would like to discuss on the Infant Steps Series, please drop me an email at esurunma@gmail.com or leave the question as a comment in any of my blog posts.

All posts on the Infant Steps Series will be posted on Tuesdays, 9 AM West Africa Time.

In This 2009, We Will...(5)

Maureen was based in the US. We all know how much Nigerians want to give birth to children in the US. Maureen’s home was usually the home to accommodate Nigerians who wanted to give birth in US. Whenever her visitors came, she showed them the real meaning of hospitality. She gave them rooms and food for free. And all the babies left with a gift from her.

All the while, Maureen was praying for a child. It was okay when her elder ones resided in her house to give birth. But when even the younger ones, nieces that she carried as babies, and younger sisters to her friends started coming to her house, she really longed for the day she will rejoice like they did. The greatest thing about Maureen was that she made each mother that came to her house feel like they were in a 5-star home. She did not complain.

Several years later, she had her own child – in that same home that was the stopover for other women to give birth. Even if you have a heart a stone, if you see the sacrifices that Maureen made, won’t you give her the desire of her heart as long as it is in your power? How much more God?

In This 2009, We Will Sow Seeds

The Bible teaches us that every man will reap what he sows [Gal 6:7]. He that sows sparingly shall reap sparingly, and he that sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully [2 Cor 9:6].
Let’s look at different types of seeds
1. The Word of God: - this is a seed you sow into your spirit. It helps with your spiritual growth and builds your faith. This seed later manifests to become a physical reality [John 1:14, Luke 8:11, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 3:9].
2. Tangible Seeds: what a person can feel. Examples include financial support, gifts
3. Intangible Seeds: - what a person cannot feel or touch but can cause a difference. Examples include prayers, service, sacrifices, your time, preparations (like studying for an exam), display of love and affection, attitudes, etc.

Beloved, God appreciates seeds [Gen 8:21-22, Leviticus 19:19].

Let's look at some things in sowing
1. The seed – every seed sown has the possibility to produce fruit/harvest of itself [Genesis 1:11-12, Genesis 1:29, 1 Corinthians 15:38]. If you sow good seed, you will reap good harvest. If you sow bad seed, you will reap bad harvest.

2. The time the seed is sown – every seed has a time that is best for it to be planted. If planted at the wrong time, it will not be productive. When God touches you to sow a seed, do it when He has specified. You can have a million excuses why a later time will be better, but if not done at the right time, it will be a waste. [Gen 8:22, John 12:24].

3. The soil in which it is sown – It is not all seed you sow that will reap a harvest. The ground on which it is sown has to be good [Matthew 13: 4 – 8]. Are you sowing into a person or ministry God has asked you to? Or are you sowing into anywhere your heart desires? Do you feel someone is too rich or too blessed for you to sow into his life?

4. Your expectation of the seed: - When you sow a seed, do you believe that the seed will yield fruit? Do you feel you are sowing in vain? It is your duty to plant then expect every day the fruit of your seed sown knowing that it is the Almighty God who will give the increase [1 Cor 3:6]. If you believe in your seed, sow with diligence [Ecclesiastes 11:4,6, Isaiah 28:24-25].

5. The nurturing of the seed – Paul said “I have planted, Apollos watered…” [1 Cor 3:6a] You will have to nurture your seeds. This will come through prayer, thanksgiving, efforts and sacrifices you will make [Deut 11:10, 1 Cor 3:6, 1 Cor 15: 37-38]. You will also have to prune your growing seed with positive confessions and replacing fear with faith.

You want a car? Sow into the life of someone who is about to buy one. Your seed could be as small as a fire extinguisher for the car or a financial support.
If you want to start a ministry, sow into other people’s ministry.
If you are looking for a job, help your elder ones iron their work clothes.
If you want improved relationships, give more of yourself.

The list of what, how and where to sow is endless.

Three key things to take out of this message is
1. Sow what God has asked you to sow (it usually is a sacrifice)
2. Do it in obedience [1 Samuel 15:22]
3. Do it with a pure heart (fully devoted to loving God with every part of your life, devoid of strife, envy, unforgiveness) because He sees the heart that goes with the seed [Psalm 44:21].

Have a blessed weekend ahead. Remember that they that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall DOUBTLESS come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him [Psalm 126:5-6]. If you have been sowing, look forward to your harvest in this 2009.

In This 2009...
1. We Will Pray for Others
2. We Will Worship the Lord
3. We Will Know God for Ourselves
4. We Will Guard our hearts

Infant Steps: How do I, a backslider, move on?

Beloved EROLyrics Readers,
Welcome to this blessed week. Covenant grace and peace be to you in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior, who reigns forevermore. Today, we are back to another question on the Infant Steps Series. It has to do with backsliding. Please respond to Hilda’s question below. She needs all the encouragement she can get from you. Thank you.

Also, please take some time to respond to the questions on addictions that came in as comments in the previous post on this series. Thank you.

Dear Rita,
I gave my life to Christ over 15 years ago when I was in class 1, secondary school. Then, every day I felt I was growing in the Lord because I spent considerable time in prayer and studying God’s word. By the time I got to class 4 (12 years ago), I backslid. I don’t want to blame it on my maturing hormones. Anyway, I realize that after then, I have lived a life I am ashamed of and have done worse things than I can ever imagine. I completely removed God from my life.

I want to go back to God. My life then was much better. But I feel guilty, ashamed and afraid because someone once told me that God punishes backsliders. Please what do I do? Is God really as forgiving as was portrayed in your post on God’s view on forgiveness?

Hilda.

If you have any questions you would like to discuss on the Infant Steps Series, please drop me an email at esurunma@gmail.com or leave the question as a comment in any of my blog posts.

All posts on the Infant Steps Series will be posted on Tuesdays, 9 AM West Africa Time.

Greg, Anonymous and Madam, please see comments in the previous post on this series for responses to your questions.